"Nanashi!"
Nanashi rushed in, his presence immediately catching the attention of the two women.
Eriri's pale face filled with surprise, the same for Sayuri, but suddenly, her face turned paler. Horror flashed in her eyes as she shouted, "Stop!"
"Nanashi! Get out of the way!"
Nanashi's gaze locked onto Eriri's father, who was charging toward him with a knife in hand.
His brows furrowed slightly.
He noticed something was growing inside the man.
With a slight motion of his fingers, Eriri's father suddenly froze in midair, suspended as if an invisible force had seized him. The knife he wielded was yanked from his grip and sent flying by an unseen force.
"What—?!"
Both women stared in shock at the impossible scene unfolding before them.
Nanashi's control over airflow was subtle but powerful. With just a thought, he could manipulate microcurrents, redirecting and amplifying them to create an effect akin to telekinesis.
Ignoring their stunned expressions, Nanashi stepped past Eriri's floating father and stopped in front of them.
"Eriri, Aunt Sayuri, are you both okay?"
Without hesitation, Eriri threw herself into Nanashi's arms, sobbing.
"Waaah! I was so scared just now! The whole atmosphere at home turned so weird—waaah…"
Nanashi gently patted her back, waiting for her to calm down before turning to Sayuri.
"Aunt Sayuri, what exactly happened?"
Still dazed, Sayuri cast a worried glance at her husband before explaining.
"A few days ago, Eriri and I both fell ill. No matter what medicine or IV drips we took, nothing helped."
"My husband—he hadn't been home in years. Then, out of nowhere, he returned today… and tried to attack us with a knife. Right after that, this house became strange—this black fog appeared everywhere."
Nanashi listened in silence, already familiar with the long-standing tension between Sayuri and her husband.
It all traced back to the incident in junior high school.
Back then, Sayuri had wanted to use her husband's connections to deal with the bullies who had tormented Eriri.
But he had refused.
He claimed it was too complicated, that he couldn't afford to abuse his position.
Yet, as Eriri suffered, even attempting to take her own life multiple times, Sayuri had refused to accept his inaction.
The two had fought bitterly.
In the end, it was Nanashi who had put an end to the nightmare.
He had reached out to an old friend—someone whose family had deep ties to the underworld.
Spending nearly all of his hard-earned money, he asks for their help.
Those bullies had met terrible fates, some losing everything, their families included.
Of course, everything had been done through entirely legal and financial means.
After that, no one dared to trouble Eriri again.
Although she had lost many so-called "friends" in the process, she had gained peace—and Nanashi had stayed by her side, helping her heal.
But the rift between Sayuri and her husband had only grown deeper.
Now, their marriage existed in name only.
Wiping away her tears, Eriri looked up at Nanashi, her voice trembling.
"Nanashi… is this place haunted?"
He hesitated briefly.
Now that both mother and daughter had become involved in the supernatural, it was best they knew the truth.
So, he spoke calmly.
"It's not just ghosts. There are demons as well."
His gaze shifted to Eriri's father.
"There's a demon inside him. It's feeding off his negative emotions, influencing his actions."
"As for this house—there's an evil spirit lingering here."
"When your father returned, the demon and the spirit must have merged. That's what caused the black fog to appear."
"…Is that even possible?"
Sayuri and Eriri had no reason to doubt Nanashi.
Still, the revelation sent chills down their spines. The existence of evil spirits and demons was one thing—but knowing that Nanashi understood so much about them, and could even fly, was another.
Yet now wasn't the time to dwell on such thoughts.
Sayuri, voice laced with worry, asked, "What happens when they merge?"
Nanashi shook his head.
"I don't know."
Despite having exorcised countless evil spirits, demons were far rarer.
And this was the first time he had witnessed such an unnatural fusion.
What kind of intense malice could cause this?
He didn't know.
Suddenly—
"Aaaahhh—!"
A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the air.
The three of them turned just in time to witness a horrifying sight.
The black mist swirling in the room rushed toward Eriri's father, forcing itself down his throat.
Nanashi instinctively stepped forward, shielding the mother and daughter with his broad frame.
His mere presence brought them a sense of security.
Small-time evil spirits and demons meant nothing to him.
He had held back, curious to see what monstrosity this fusion would create.
And now—
As every last wisp of black mist was absorbed into Eriri's father, a chilling, inhuman laugh erupted from his lips.
"Hehehe…"
Then, something crawled out of his mouth.
A pitch-black claw, grotesquely covered in eyes.
Then another.
And another.
A second, a third—until five twisted, clawed limbs emerged.
And then came the head.
Malformed. Inhuman. Twisted beyond recognition.
A monstrosity had been born.
Eriri and Sayuri's eyes widened in sheer terror.
Their bodies trembled violently as they clung to Nanashi, horror paralyzing them.
"Nanashi…"
Eriri whimpered, pressing herself against his back, seeking any semblance of safety.
Even Sayuri, usually composed, found herself unable to move.
For the first time—
They understood.
This wasn't just a ghost story.
This was real!